Joy over airwaves winners
Radio station Umhlobo Wenene has won the Station of the Year in the Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) category, as well as the My Station Award at the MTN radio awards.
ON TOP. Talk Radio 702 staff celebrate as they collect their award for Commercial Station of the Year on Saturday evening at the MTN radio awards in Sandton. Pictures: Michel Bega.
Other winners were Tuks FM for Campus Station of the Year and Radio Tygerberg, which took the Community Station of the Year award. More than 95 radio stations entered this year’s awards.
The awards were dished out at a glitzy event on Saturday night in Sandton. The biggest loser seemed to be urban youth radio station, YM, which did not receive a nomination in any category.
The station recently shook up its programming, replacing popular DJs Warrick Stock – aka DJ Warras – Thando Thabethe and Tumi Voster, who subsequently joined 5FM. Bonang Matheba, Sizwe Dhlomo and Siyabonga “Scoop” Ngwekazi also left the station earlier last month.
John Maytham of 567 Cape Talk won the award in the coveted Afternoon Drive Presenter category.
“Intelligent, thought-provoking radio from a literate, intelligent and articulate presenter,” the judges commented on Maytham’s win.
Fan favourites, Metro FM’s breakfast show hosts Unathi Msengana and Glen Lewis, hosts of The First Avenue for eight years, weren’t nominated this year – nor was Gareth Cliff, who recently announced his departure from 5FM.
Veteran John Berks received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I went into radio in 1964 because I was in love with the spoken word that had the ability to paint a picture,” he said. “The biggest winner tonight is you – the people who continue to keep radio alive.”
